November 2, 2020 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

‘There could be turmoil’: How Canada is bracing for the U.S. election

By Mercedes Stephenson & Marc-André Cossette Global News

With the U.S. presidential election just days away, the Canadian government is steeling itself for the weeks of uncertainty that could ensue if the result is unclear or contested.

In the corridors of power in Ottawa, planning for this election started early, according to a senior government official who requested anonymity.

Those preparations have been intense, generating a flurry of briefings and threat assessments, as Canada braces for all scenarios.

Much hinges on how U.S. President Donald Trump will react on Election Night and the weeks that follow.

Throughout his presidency, Trump has shattered expectations of normal political behaviour.

He now appears willing to defy one of the most basic of democratic norms, having refused to say unequivocally whether he'll accept the results of the election if he loses.

John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser, warns the president won't leave graciously if defeated.

“There could be turmoil,” Bolton said. “If he thinks confusion and chaos can help him hang on, can help affect recounts and contests, I think there's every prospect he'll engage in it.”

U.S. election highlighting need for ‘unified' response

In the aftermath of the election, multiple sources told Global News that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his team will lean heavily on Canada's embassy in Washington and especially on Ambassador Kirsten Hillman.

Her predecessor, David MacNaughton, said Hillman has likely been in near-daily communication with the Prime Minister's Office, funnelling information that she has gleaned from her contacts in the White House, Congress, the U.S. State Department and American security agencies.

Back in Ottawa, the prime minister will want premiers and opposition parties on side too, MacNaughton said.

“When we're dealing with something as important as our relationship with the United States, we need to be unified,” he said, citing the non-partisan Team Canada approach that was taken when renegotiating NAFTA.

“That's what's going to be necessary, regardless of what happens with the outcome of this election.”

But so long as there's any doubt about the result, the prime minister would be wise to keep his powder dry, said Roland Paris, Trudeau's former foreign policy and defence adviser.

“Canadian prime ministers rarely have anything to gain by involving themselves in U.S. domestic politics, and they often have quite a bit to lose,” he said.

Aside from reaffirming Canada's confidence in the U.S. electoral process, the federal government will do all it can to avoid being drawn into the political firestorm raging south of the border.

Preparing for civil unrest and the ‘nightmare scenario'

Still, multiple sources said Canada can't ignore the possibility of civil unrest and violence in the United States.

For 10 years, Ward Elcock served as Canada's top spy, leading the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

He said there's no question that Trump's heated rhetoric has fuelled the resurgence of far-right extremism in the United States: a phenomenon that poses a serious threat as Americans decide who should lead their country for the next four years.

“There may well be some people who do weird things in the aftermath of the election, particularly if — as seems likely at this point — Mr. Trump loses and loses badly,” Elcock said.

“There may be some of his supporters who do get pushed into violent scenarios that are hard for us to imagine.”

Just one month ahead of the election, a report by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security called white supremacists “the most persistent and lethal threat” in the country.

That threat is on Canada's radar too, according to Thomas Juneau, a professor of international affairs at the University of Ottawa and a former analyst with the Department of National Defence.

“One scenario that is always a nightmare scenario for Canada is the issue of security threats coming from Canada, crossing the Canadian-American border and reaching the U.S.,” he said.

“The fear on our side is always that the response on the American side will be to close the border, which economically would be devastating for us.”

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior national security source told Global News the federal government is quietly assessing the risk that election-related violence in the United States could spill over into Canada.

As a result, Canadian intelligence agencies will closely monitor potential flashpoints. Those include border states like Michigan, where the FBI recently foiled a militia plot to kidnap the state's governor, and Washington, where waves of anti-racism protests may have attracted more far-right extremists.

‘Not our first rodeo' managing U.S. disruption: experts

Despite the uncertainty swirling around the election, experts agree that ties between the Canadian and American defence and intelligence communities likely won't be affected.

“The underlying relationship is very strong,” Elcock said, describing it as one of interdependence.

“We may be a smaller partner, but we're not necessarily just a bit player,” he said.

And what if Trump were to issue wild orders in the post-election chaos — demanding, for example, that U.S. agencies cease all intelligence-sharing with allies?

Several intelligence sources said the U.S. defence and security apparatus likely won't take orders that it considers illegitimate.

“The United States is not disintegrating,” Elcock said.

“It may need a period of rest and rejuvenation after Mr. Trump passes from the scene, as inevitably he will at some point. But the reality is most of those organizations are still there and they're still capable.”

In other words, Trump may be disruptive, but the U.S. military and intelligence community is still run by professionals who won't toe the president's line if he goes rogue.

No matter what happens on Nov. 3, the overwhelming consensus appears to be that Americans will find a way to endure.

“This is not our first rodeo,” Bolton said.

“We've had bitterly contested elections before and we've gotten through it — and we'll get through this one, too.”

See this and other original stories about our world on The New Reality airing Saturday nights on Global TV, and online.

https://globalnews.ca/news/7432158/us-election-canada-preparations/

On the same subject

March 7, 2018 | Local, Naval

Lockheed Martin Canada Welcomes ANZAC Frigate HMNZS TE KAHA to Canada to Begin Modernization Contract Work
OTTAWA, Ontario, March 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) Canada has signed a formal contract with the New Zealand government for ship installation and trials to complete the upgrade and modernization of the ANZAC class frigates. The first of two frigates, Her Majesty's New Zealand Ship (HMNZS) TE KAHA arrived in Victoria yesterday. Lockheed Martin Canada is responsible for designing and supplying the upgraded combat system for each ANZAC Class Frigate, including a new combat management system – based on Lockheed Martin Canada's Combat Management System 330 – along with the supply and integration of various sensors, a missile system and a Combat Systems Trainer. Lockheed Martin Canada has entered into a subcontractual agreement with Seaspan Victoria Shipyards Co. Ltd in Victoria, BC, to install the new systems on the ship platforms. "We are very happy to continue our relationship with the Royal New Zealand Navy," said Acting Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed Martin Canada RMS, Gary Fudge. "The New Zealand ANZAC Frigate Systems Upgrade marked our official entrance onto the international market as a combat systems integrator in 2014. Our continued partnership with the Navy is something we are very proud of," added Fudge. "Our partnership with Canadian shipyards on the Halifax Class Modernization program and the confidence that Canada placed in those shipyards on the National Shipbuilding Strategy program led directly to our ability to contract the ANZAC refit work to Seaspan," stated Fudge. Today, Lockheed Martin Canada is the Combat Systems Integrator (CSI) for four major active programs across three countries, including New Zealand's frigate upgrade project, the Chilean Navy's Type 23 modernization, Canada's Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship, and the lead program which saw the initial development of the CMS 330, the Halifax Class Modernization program. "The modernization and upgrades of ANZAC class frigates are critically important to the Royal New Zealand Navy," said Vice President of International Naval Systems Programs Kevin Arthurs. "These upgrades will provide the ships with a greater degree of survivability through a faster decision-making process and a more appropriate response to a variety of threats," added Arthurs. Her Majesty's New Zealand Ship (HMNZS) TE KAHA arrived in Canada yesterday and HMNZS TE MANA is scheduled to arrive in 2019. Under Lockheed Martin Canada supervision and direction, Seaspan Shipyards will refit and install the new systems with an expected completion date of 2020 for the entire contract. The second frigate, HMNZS TE MANA, is scheduled to arrive in 2019. For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.ca. About Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin Canada, headquartered in Ottawa, is the Canadian-based arm of Lockheed Martin Corporation, a global security and aerospace company employing 100,000 people worldwide. Lockheed Martin Canada has been Canada's trusted defence partner for nearly 80 years specializing in the development, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The company employs approximately 980 employees at major facilities in Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, Calgary, and Victoria, working on a wide range of major programs spanning the aerospace, defence and commercial sectors. SOURCE Lockheed Martin https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2018-03-07-Lockheed-Martin-Canada-Welcomes-ANZAC-Frigate-HMNZS-TE-KAHA-to-Canada-to-Begin-Modernization-Contract-Work
September 4, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

Sweden’s Saab undecided on whether it will participate in Canadian fighter-jet competition
THE CANADIAN PRESS Days after Airbus Defence and Space pulled out of the $19-billion race to replace Canada's aging fighter jets, the only European firm still eligible to compete says it has not decided whether it will. Saab Canada president Simon Carroll says the Swedish firm is interested in entering its Gripen jet against its two remaining competitors, both of which are from the United States: Boeing's Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin's F-35. However, Mr. Carroll told The Canadian Press on Tuesday that his company is still analyzing the competition's nitty-gritty details – including a security requirement that forced out two other European jet makers. All bidders are required to explain by Sept. 20 how they plan to ensure their planes can integrate with the top-secret Canada-U.S. intelligence network known as “Two Eyes,” which is used to co-ordinate the defence of North America. But in announcing its withdrawal from the competition on Friday, Airbus said meeting the requirement would place “too significant of a cost” on non-U.S. aircraft. French firm Dassault cited the same requirement when it pulled its Rafale jet in November. “We are still looking at that security assessment side of things from the Two-Eyes perspective,” Mr. Carroll said. “We don't see any major issues with it as this point in time. Having said that, we're still reviewing everything through the whole [request for proposals] at this point in time and we will reserve the right to make our judgment on whether or not we provide a bid.” Airbus also raised concerns about changes to a long-standing policy that requires bidders on military contracts to legally commit to invest as much money in Canadian products and operations as they get out of contracts they win. Bidders can now instead establish “industrial targets,” lay out a plan for achieving those targets and sign non-binding agreements promising to make all efforts to achieve them. Such bids do suffer penalties when the bids are scored, but are not rejected outright. That change followed U.S. complaints the previous policy violated an agreement Canada signed in 2006 to become one of nine partner countries in developing the F-35. The agreement says companies in the partner countries will compete for work associated with purchases of the planes. While Saab has previously raised its own concerns about the change, saying it would shortchange Canadian taxpayers and industry, Mr. Carroll said it was “not a hurdle” and that “we think we have a very good offering for what we can offer in Canada.” Even participating in the competition is not a cheap proposition for fighter-jet makers; while Carroll would not speak to the potential cost to Saab, analysts have previously pegged the cost in the millions of dollars. While companies are expected to submit their plans to meet the Two Eyes security requirement on Sept. 20, the government has said it will provide feedback and let bidders amend their submissions. Final bids aren't expected until next winter, with a formal contract signed in 2022. The first plane won't arrive until at least 2025. Successive federal government have been working to replace Canada's CF-18s for more than a decade. Mr. Carroll praised the government for being transparent as it has worked for years to launch the competition, which followed an aborted attempt between 2010 and 2012 to buy F-35s without a competition. “We're supportive of the government processes and what they've done moving forward,” he said. “The transparency from the government has been very good. They've given ample opportunity for us to review documents. They've been very open in saying that these are the dates and these are the times.” https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-swedens-saab-undecided-on-whether-it-will-participate-in-canadian/
March 15, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

Preparing to ditch — a new way of training for helicopter emergencies
Jane Adey · CBC News Imagine you're an offshore worker on a helicopter flying to an oil platform and you hear the words "prepare to ditch" from your pilot. Adrenalin surges through your body as you raise your arms across your chest and assume the brace position. But will you remember what to do? Will panic take over? A St. John's company is working with the Marine Institute to help offshore workers become more comfortable in the air and better prepared for emergencies. Brainstorming a solution Ten years ago, in the days after the crash of Cougar 491, Anthony Patterson began thinking about how to improve safety in the offshore. His company, Virtual Marine, was in the early days of developing simulators for lifeboat training in the water. But Patterson, whose team specialized in marine simulations, knew his company had some technologies that could apply to the air. "We brainstormed on how we could create a better training experience," said Patterson, and they developed a small helicopter simulator. "We're very good at modeling boats in the water and then even the helicopter floating in the water, but the part about the helicopter flying through the air, of course, we had no expertise with that whatsoever," said Patterson. That's when Cougar Helicopters got on board. Virtual Marine brought its helicopter simulator to the lead pilots at the company. With the simulator, they flew the different kinds of manoeuvres they'd use if they had to ditch at sea. The simulator collected the data. and Virtual Marine embedded it into their simulation system to create the flight paths in an emergency. The simulator consists of a large box made to look like exactly like the inside of a helicopter. A motion bed, attached to the underside and controlled by a computer, allows workers to feel the same kind of movement as they would during a flight. The seatbelts are the same, the windows are the same and the views out the windows are the same as they would be in real life. It's important that the simulator be as realistic as possible for Liz Sanli, a researcher in ocean safety at the Marine Institute with expertise in skill learning over time. She's focused on how workers learn and how much they retain when asked to perform a task again at a later date. "So we're looking at how we can train during practice to help them remember all those steps when they're in a stressful situation down the road," said Sanli. Right now, workers are trained in a swimming pool on how to escape a helicopter submerged in water but training for the actual flight occurs in a classroom. By sitting inside a helicopter flight simulator, Sanli says, the workers' experience is more accurate. "You're getting that experience of physically doing the task so you get to go through the steps you get to experience them you can sometimes experience mistakes in a safe environment and learn from those mistakes rather than just watching somebody else do it, for example," said Sanli. "You also can simulate some of the feelings, so you can hear the sounds, you know that you're in a different environment and that can better match some of the more advanced training or perhaps even a real emergency." Sanli measures anxiety levels of participants and follows how well the protocol sequence is followed under a variety of conditions. She monitors what happens when trainees are seated in different positions and when they train in light and in darkness, getting as much information as possible to make training efficient and effective. "It's a big responsibility to have this evidence to make decisions when it comes to regulations, when it comes to decisions about training to have it based in evidence. It's safety that's at stake," said Sanli. For now, research on the simulator continues with hopes it will soon augment the training done by offshore workers. Patterson,says ten years after 17 lives were lost in the offshore, he's glad to have contributed what he could to try and make the industry safer. "This really was something that was more than a job," he said. "It was something that we had to do, to do our part to bring safety to the community. Everybody in the company, we all worked extra hours. I'd say this is the one that all of our engineers have the most pride in, accomplishing this task." https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/helicopter-cougar-crash-safety-offshore-1.5048792

All news